SA Senate Meeting Brings Little Fanfare but Plenty of Progress

by Sam Michel

For those who thought the Student Association Senate would accomplish little now that SA election season was over, last night’s meeting would have been a surprise. In one of the final SA Senate meetings of the 2012-2013 academic year, the Senate passed a number of resolutions and made significant progress on lesser-known initiatives nonetheless considered important to the student body.

Outgoing Executive Vice President Abby Bergren presided over the meeting in which several SA Senators were not present and as such were represented by proxies. Still having enough senators present for a quorum, the Senate quickly passed a number of resolutions. One resolution, sponsored by Senator Nick Gumas, asks future GW applicants to specify on their application whether they were gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. Although the question would be optional and would have no effect on an applicant’s prospects of admission, Gumas argued that if GW can gather statistics on an incoming class’ religion, geographic background or race, then sexual orientation should be included in that category. The resolution passed with unanimous support.  Gumas said he would be bringing the issue up to the incoming Director of Admissions at the earliest convenience.

Dr. Bernard Demczuk, Assistant Vice President for DC Relations, addressed the Senate to promote increased communication between the GW community and the DC city government. An Aid to former DC Mayor Marion Barry, Demczuk described his job as helping GW students get a better understanding on how the DC government works, both in the city council and the mayor’s office. 

In his update to the Senate, a proxy for Student Association President Ashwin Narla informed the body of progress that had been made to allow food trucks to begin accepting GWorld cards as a payment option. He stressed however that while the negotiations were still ongoing, there was optimism that food trucks could begin accepting GWorld cards before the end of the school year.

In recognition of April Fools Day, Bergren temporarily resigned her position and allowed Hugo Scheckter, who ran an unsuccessful satirical campaign for SA President, to preside over the conclusion of the meeting. In his remarks, temporary-EVP Scheckter, dressed in his full royal attire, complimented the Senate on passing updated bylaws to the Senate Constitution “which the GW student community was really begging for.”